According to Mrs M, JC has never been as happy as she has been boarding her school bus each morning. Aged 3.5 she is, in her own words, a big girl now. And her sister PB has just started at pre-school as well. Which leads me to lament the rapid passing of time and how quickly they grow up and grow frustrated as my questions as to how the school day was are batted away with a grunt, just like my brother and I used to do.

Having kids of my own helps me daily to understand my parents far better. Inevitably I am becoming like them, to some extent, despite many childhood protestations to the contrary. Because when it comes to parenting, your own parents are the only ones you've had the chance to learn from.